Horse racing events and betting on horse races has been around since Roman times.
The Breeders’ Cup, a horserace meet that draws the world’s top thoroughbreds and racing aficionados to compete for prizes. It is without a doubt the most exciting horse race in the United States, drawing over 100 million viewers from around the world!
In this article, we’ll examine its history, what it means for racing fans, as well as predictions for who will take home some of the coveted prizes on offer.
The history of the Breeders’ Cup
The event is hosted every year by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and is named after the original Breeders’ Cup, which was hosted at Hollywood Park in 1984.
The first Breeders’ Cup took place on November 2nd, 1985, at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California.
It didn’t take long for the event to outgrow its original location, and in 1988, Santa Anita Park became the home of modern-day Breeders’ Cup.
Breeders’ Cup quickly became a place where millionaires make bet on which horses will win big and breed champion racehorses. The best thoroughbreds from around the world are invited to participate, and are flown in on private jets for the race.
What are some horse breeds that race at the Breeders’ Cup
The breeds of horse that will be taking part in the Breeders’ Cup are Thoroughbreds and Arabians.
The Thoroughbreds are the most common breeds of horse in America, and are generally used for flat races like the ones seen in the Breeders’ Cup.
Arabians are a rarer breed, and can be spotted in races such as the Marathon and the Turf.
Types of races
This year, there are nine different race types to watch. The Breeders’ Cup’s website has a list of the races and their descriptions.
There are 2 flat racing categories:
- Sprint: for horses that can run on average less than 2 miles.
- Distance: for horses who can run an average of 2 to 3 miles.
Sprint races include the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Juvenile Fillies Sprint, Juvenile Filly Turf Sprint, Juvenile Sprint, and the Dirt Mile.
Distance races include the Distaff Stakes, Mile Stakes, Turf Stakes, Marathon Stakes and the Filly & Mare Turf Stakes.
Steeplechases are races where horses have to jump over several obstacles such as water jumps and stone walls.
There are seven types of steeplechase races in the Breeders’ Cup:
- Juvenile Steeplechase
- Filly & Mare Turf Sprint
- Sprint Steeplechase
- Midsize Rampart or Turf (1.25 Mile or 1.50 Mile)
- Marathon Steeplechase
- Big Bankroll or Dirt (2.25 Miles or 2.50 Miles)
Where is the Breeders Cup 2015
The Breeders’ Cup 2015 will be held at Keeneland Race Course, located in Lexington, Kentucky on October 31st. The event will be streamed live at 8:30 pm EST.
Way to watch the Breeders’ Cup is through the NTRA, NBC Sports Network, or TVG.
NBC Sports Network will be airing the Breeders’ Cup live from Keeneland Race Course on October 31st, at 8:30 pm EST. The show will also be streamed live for viewers who don’t have access to a television, so no one has an excuse not to watch!
Who will win?
This year’s Breeders’ Cup is a hard one to predict. One of the favorites for victory is Bayern, a horse owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, who has won the event 5 times and have been coming in first place at the Breeders’ Cup for over 20 years.
On the other hand, American Pharoah has been heralded as an 87% chance to win historically from all the prediction games on social media sites.
Prince Bishop, the only European in this year’s race may be a wild card to take home the victory at Keeneland.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a racing fan or not, there are plenty of reasons to tune into this event! With nine different race types and 100 million viewers around the world tuning in every year, we’re excited about what could happen with this year’s competition.
